Curtain stretcher



June 3, 1952 A. E. GARNER ETAL CURTAIN sTRETcHER Filed May 29, 195o JNVENTORS Patented June 3, 1952 ,CURTAIN STRETCHER K Abel -E. Garner, New York, Y.,=and Paul W.

. .Getschmam ,Worldsbest- Industries, ;Inc.,(}udahy,\4 ,Wiss a corporation of Wisconsin Application Mayf29, 195,0,..S'eria1 N0. 164,928

4has to vbe used. lInl the'first instance there is a loss of time,-and in the'second instance .theexpense of the equipment isfdoubled.` -The mai-n ob- Aject of thepresent invention is to provide a fabric stretcher'which'by the addition of asecond adjustinggbar and a second bottom bar enables stretching of fabrics of different widths and lengths atthe same time.

A'further object of theinventionis to provide a `fabric stretcheremploying vtwo adjusting bars vand twobottom barsin which the second adjusting bar is-provided with an easel mounting which cooperates with a similar mounting on the end bar to support the stretcher in upright'position, thereby'simplifying the structure over that cf our copendingapplication lSerial No. 109,676, now abandoned; vfiled AAugust 11, 1949, for Curtain Stretcher..` This application is a continuation in part of the above mentioned application as to claims for allcommon. subject matter.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevationview of afcurtain stretcher embodying the invention, parts being :breken away;

,FigfZ is an end elevation view;

fFig. `3 is a detailed horizontal` sectional-,view taken on the broken line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detailed vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

The curtain frame embodying the invention comprises a top bar 5, spaced bottom bars 6 and 1, an end bar 8, a vertical center bar 9, and spaced horizontally or laterally adjustably mounted adjusting bars I and I I secured together by various fittings to form a stretching frame, the top and bottom barsr the end bar and both of the adjusting bars having pins I2 on which portions of the damp curtains are impaled to stretch the fabric and hold it in this condition until dried.

It Will be noted from Fig. 1 that by providing an additional bottom bar, and an additional adjusting bar that we have provided tWo stretching frames in one apparatus, for with this arrangement small size curtains may be stretched on the frame composed of bars 5. 8, I0 and 6 andlarge size curtainsfmaybestretchedon the Ifra-me composed of bars -5,8,- IfI- and 1, atfthesame time,

-With the usualtypesf of sframes,- the Aadjusting bar-has a ush voint'connection Withthetopbar, as--shown for example in-U. S. 'Letters 1PatentNo. 2,448,574j of September 71, 1948, to `lWerner Bothe, and a similar flush joint-connection is made between the v end -bar andthe bottom' bar, so that the -pinning ofthe jointejdlbarsis in-*substantially the' -sa-r-ne I plane. In the presentl invention the same form of-clamp I3 isusedas'A that shown and described in said-patent;- andthe Apinning-of adjusting'bar I I-i s in substantially-the same -plane las tha-tof-thetop hampa-nd the pinning of the bottom-bar -1 is=similarly co'planar Withth-at ofthe bar-:8; and topermi-t of such-types f of connection the anchoring memberx I4 ofthe Bothe clamp, asrshown-in-Fig 4,"h-asan-foif-set# I5 thereinl so as to Ioffset` the adjustingbar A'Hl-rearwardly-relative to the topbar-S -againstwhich it abuts, vand ra similar offset I6 is providedin lthe anchoring member `Il -for-the-Bothe clamp to nifset the `bottom bar -6 rearward-lyrelative-tothe -end Ibar `8 against -Which Iit abuts, Iasshown` in Fig. 3. l. Bythis arrangementthe -pins -l2-on-I the tachment ofthe curtainsv thereto. It is also vtobe noted y.that the adjusting i-barl I0 extends down .behind the bottom bars 6 -and 'I -and is clamped in Vabutting engagement with thef-backoffthe bottom bar 6 by a clampdevice I8 of known form 2havingga part I9 engaging the-b`ottom bar 1.- AThe adjusting bar I-I- extends down in Af-rontofthe bottom bars s and 1 and is clamped irl-abutting engagement with these bars by clamp devices similar to the clamp device I8 and including a channel member 20 engageable with the bottom bar, an angled bar 2| engageable with either the bar 6 or 'I and the bar II, a threaded bolt 22 anchored to the member 20 and extending through a hole in bar 2I, and a wing nut 23 threaded onto the bolt 22 and engaging the bar 2|. The center bar 9 is adjustably clamped to the bottom bars and the top bar by suitable clamps.

It will be noted that the adjusting bar II is of the same length as the end bar 8, and each of these bars is provided with a leg 24 pivotally connected at its back to said bar by a bracket 25 carrying a hinge pin 26 extending through the upper portion of the leg or pivotally connected to a portion of said bar in any other suitable manner. The leg 24 is braced relative to its support-v ing bar by a brace link 21 pivotally connected by a pin 28 to said leg and having a hooked end 29 engageable with a pin 30 mounted in the outer edge of either the bar Il or the bar 8. The leg is shown here in connection with the bar` Il, but the same type of leg and mounting is used with the end bar 8. Thus the end bar `8 and adjusting bar I l with their easel type legs 2,4 act to support the entire stretcher frame in an upright though slightly inclined position, as shown in Fig, 2, and by forming the vertical bar Il as a, leg member the usual additional end bar and some of its fittings and their cost are eliminated. Instead of an easel leg 24, the bars 8 and Il may form part of the supporting means for the stretcher by mounting the bottom ends of these bars in foot members, or the bars Band H themselves may form the legs when the stretcher is leaned against a wall. Y

The above constructions at only the additional cost of the two bars 1 and l I provides a frame on which two curtains of different widths and lengths may be stretched and dried at the same time. Also considerable time and labor in setting up the frame as compared to two separate stretchers is saved'.

We desire it to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to any particular form or arrangement of parts except in so far as such limitations are included in the claims.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. Inja fabric stretcher, the combination of a top bar provided with pinning, an end bar provided with pinning, vertically disposed spaced adjusting bars provided with pinning, horizontally disposed spaced bottom bars, substantially equal in length to the top bar, provided with pinning, means for securing said bars together as a unitary frame to form a larger fabric receiving frame and a smaller fabric receiving frame of which said top bar-and end bar form common elements, the pinning of the adjusting bar for the larger frame being in substantially the same plane as that of the top bar and the pinning of the adjusting bar for the smaller frame being rearwardly oiset relative to that inv the top bar, the pinning of the bottom bar for the smaller frame being rearwardly offset relative to that of said end bar, the securing means for the bars including clamping devices securing both of the bottom bars to the adjusting bar for the larger frame, the end bar and the adjusting bar for the larger frame each provided with a pivoted legeoperatively braced relative thereto whereby said end bar and larger frame adjusting bar form supporting uprights for the stretcher.

2. In a fabric stretcher, the combination of a top bar provided with pinning, an end bar provided with pinning, vertically disposed spaced adjusting bars provided with pinning, horizontally disposed spaced bottom bars, substantially equal in length to the top bar, provided with pinning. means for securing saidV bars together as a unitary frame to form a larger fabric receiving frame and a smaller fabric receiving frame of which said top bar and end bar 'form common elements, the pinning of the adjusting bar for the larger frame being in substantially the same plane as that of the top bar and the pinning of the adjusting bar for the smaller frame being rearwardly offset relative to that in the top bar.

vthe pinning of the bottom bar for the smaller frame being rearwardly oiset relative to that of said end bar, the securing means for the bars including clamping devices securing both of the bottom bars to the adjusting bar for the larger frame, the end bar and the adjusting bar for the larger frame forming part of the supportin means for the stretcher. Y*

3. In a fabric stretcher, the combination of a top bar provided with pinning, an end bar provided with pinning, vertically disposed spaced adjusting bars provided with pinning, horizontally disposed spaced bottom bars provided with pinning, means for securing said bars together as a unitary frame to form a larger fabric receiving frame and a smaller fabric receiving frame of which said top bar and end bar form common elements, the pinning of the adjusting bar for the larger frame being in substantially the same plane as that of the top bar and the pinning of the adjusting bar for the smaller frame being rearwardly offset relativeA to that of the top bar, the pinning for the bottom bar for the larger frame being in substantially the same plane as that of the end bar, and the pinning of the bottom bar for the smaller frame being rearwardly offset relative to that of said end bar, said horizontally disposed spaced bottom bars both extending the length of the larger frame.

ABEL E. GARNER.Y PAUL W. GETSCHMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

NITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Y Date 1,252,981 Allen Jan. 8, 1918 1,929,629 Dougherty Oct. 10, 1933 2,279,647 Watling Apr 14, 1942 2,448,574 Bothe Sept. 7, 1948 

